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5 Things to Know About OL Paris Johnson- Eagles Prospect Profile

Placeholder Shilloutte User Image By Dylan MacKinnon
EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 05: Paris Johnson Jr. #77 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Ryan Field on November 05, 2022 in Evanston, Illinois.

The draft is now just a couple of days away. And could it be Paris Johnson Jr whose name gets called when the Eagles are on the board at pick 10?  

Even when it is not a need, O-Line is never off the board for Howie Roseman. Two years in a row Howie spent his 2nd round pick on what he thought would be their future center if Jason Kelce retired. First, it was Landon Dickerson. He ended up playing his rookie year when Isaac Seumalo got hurt. But the plan was for him to ride the bench all season long. Last season it was Cam Jurgens. And he did sit for pretty much his whole rookie season. Apart from some snaps filling in for Kelce here and there.  

So even though the Eagles have both Tackles spots wrapped up for at least two years, their LG in Dickerson, and Jason Kelce returned, O-Line could very much be on the table at pick 10. Whether it is getting the eventual replacement for Lane Johnson, or someone to play RG this season and sit Cam Jurgens again.  

We took a look at Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski earlier in the draft process. But now let’s get to know another of the top OL prospects a little bit better. Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. Will Johnson even be there at pick 10? Would he be the right fit at RG for the near future? And does what Paris Johnson brings to the team off the field make him even more valuable? 

Here are 5 Things you should know about Paris Johnson Jr:

  • Did Not Give Up many Sacks in College

    The Eagles are not used to the offensive Linemen giving up any sacks. Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce both allowed 0 last season. Landon Dickerson and Isaac Seumalo allowed 1 a piece. And Jordan Mailata gave up just 6, which despite being much more than anyone else on the one, is still a very small amount. So there will be a lot of pressure on whoever replaces Seumalo at RG to keep that trend up. 

    Luckily, Paris Johnson would fit right in. Over his last 2 seasons, Johnson allowed just 3 sacks. 2 this season, and 0 in 2021. Not only that though, he barely allowed any pressure. He allowed just 25 QB hurries in that same time. To top it off, he also does not commit many penalties. He had no holding calls, and just one false start last season. Paris Johnson plays as clean of a game as you can ask for from a Lineman. 

  • Already Has Experience at RG

    Lane Johnson is not going anywhere this season, or the next. He is still perhaps the best tackle in the whole league, and just signed an extension with the Eagles. Any tackle coming to the Eagles will have to slide to RG for a least a couple of seasons if they want to get any playing time. We talked about how many scouts believe Peter Skoronski will be a good fit there. Well with Paris Johnson, they don’t need to guess.  

    While he did spend this last season at LT, he played RG in 2021. And as already mentioned, that was the season he didn’t allow a single sack. 768 snaps at RG, 0 sacks, and just 1 QB hit. As great of an LT that he made, he may be even better inside.  

  • An Elite Athlete For a Man His Size

    The Eagles have been blessed to consistently have true athletes along the line. Normal centers don’t move like Jason Kelce does. Most men the size of Lane Johnson are not as quick as him. And before them, there was Jason Peters who moved very fast for a big man. Paris Johnson would certainly keep that trend going. Of all the O-Line prospects in the draft, Johnson is probably the most explosive. His fellow Ohio State Lineman, Center Luke Wypler, gushed about  

    “Paris is an elite athlete. For his size, the way he’s able to move – sometimes in the season, you’ll be watching film and it’s like his legs are on the ground, he’s bent over backwards and is able to recover and finish a block.- Luke Wypler 

    [Source: Sports Illustrated]

    He did not run the 40 at the Combine. But when would a Lineman ever have to run in a straight line like that anyway?. Where he did blow scouts away there though, was the agility drills.  

    He has the grace of a fluidity of a man half his size. But also maintains the strength of someone his size. In the bench press he did 29 reps of 225 pounds. And he measured in with the third largest arm length among O-Lineman at 36 1/8-inch arms. Something that has been a knock on fellow O-Line prospect Peter Skoronski. 

  • Could Be Off the Board Before Pick 10

    You can’t take a player if someone else takes him before you ever have the chance. And word is some teams are very high on Paris Johnson. There is even talk he could be gone as high as 3. Kyler Murray is reportedly campaigning to bring Paris Johnson to Arizona.  

    Even if he does get past 3, the sense is he could be the first offensive lineman off the board, meaning he still may not be there at 10. There is also word that there are teams like the Steelers who want to get into the top 10 to grab him. Not to mention the team right ahead of them at 9, the Bears, badly needs Offensive Line help.  

    If the Eagles want him, it feels like they would have to trade up to get him. And how much are you willing to invest in a guy who will be playing RG for two years, when you already have an internal option in Cam Jurgens?  

  • Heart As Big As he Is

    Talent is what matters most when evaluating a player. A person may be a saint, but if they can’t play football, they won’t help the team. Luckily in Johnson’s case, you get a bit of both with him. 

    After he witnessed an opposing school in high school having to share football equipment, a young Paris Johnson decided he wanted to do more to help those in need. So he established his own foundation to help Veterans in need and underprivileged youth. The foundation distributes Turkeys at Thanksgiving, Christmas gifts, and does food drives to feed the homeless.  

    But it is not just off the field that he shows his high character, because his coaches credit him as a team leader and mentor too.  

    “He’s a great kid. He’s caring. He’s like the father of the group. Guys talk to him about their problems. He just has that kind of personality. He’s an open, honest kid.”- Greg Studrawa, Ohio State’s offensive line coach 

    [Source: The Dispatch]

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